A CELEBRATORY World Oceans Day event, hosted by WILDOCEANS and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), was held at uShaka Marine World’s Aquarium on 8 June.
The event, which featured a keynote address by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) Deputy Director General Judy Beaumont was used as a platform to announce an exciting coalition hoping to advance the protection of our oceans.
“Funded by Oceans 5 in partnership with Ocean Unite, WWF-SA, The Green Connection, Centre for Environmental Rights and the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), this coalition hopes to gain strategic wins for marine conservation in African waters that will catalyse action across the region,” said Dr Jean Harris of WILDOCEANS.
“We hope to build support among public and ocean stakeholders for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by creating awareness of their value for provision of ecosystem services, ocean risk mitigation, food security, ecotourism benefits, moderation of climate change, and improving resilience to impacts of other global stressors.”
Beaumont said the department welcomed the support afforded by the coalition.
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An exciting advocacy and awareness social media campaign called “Only This Much” is also aligned with the coalition. “We are asking people to join the campaign online to help us share updates, photos and news stories across South Africa – and the world,” said WILDOCEANS’ Lauren van Nijkerk.
“Given the role of healthy oceans in supporting an ocean economy, it’s critical that we address the fact that we’re currently only protecting a tiny fraction of our ocean space. We urgently need to scale up our MPA network to secure the underlying marine ecosystems which underpin economically and ecologically sustainable development,” said John Duncan, Senior Manager of the Marine Programme at WWF SA.
Judy Mann, Conservation Strategist at SAAMBR said they were pleased to be a part of the collaboration between organisations committed to marine conservation. “The challenges facing our oceans are enormous and it is only by working together that we will be able to address them, to help people and the ocean,” she said.
On this World Oceans Day these are five easy ways the public can kick-start the journey of ocean protection:
1) Join the “Only This Much” campaign and spread awareness in your community.
2) Reduce your carbon footprint and energy consumption at home.
3) Make ethical and sustainable seafood choices – follow WWF SASSI to check.
4) Stop buying and using plastic products or ask your local supermarket why they haven’t banned plastic bags yet.
5) Don’t buy items that exploit marine life.
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